Latest MLB Pipeline rankings place the Cubs' farm system in a tier of its own

Prospects don't always pan out, but having a steady pipeline of young talent is a key to building a sustainable winner at the big-league level. Consider that box checked for Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs, who now lead all of baseball with eight of the game's top 100 prospects.

MLB Pipeline's end-of-season top 100 rankings dropped last week, with the Cubs setting the tone for the rest of the league. The question now, though, is can these young players start making their mark at Wrigley Field, joining former top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong in 2025 and beyond.

The Cubs' top prospects are headlined by infielder Matt Shaw (24), who could make his MLB debut as early as next year, followed by Owen Caissie (34), Cade Horton (42), Moises Ballesteros (44), James Triantos (55), Kevin Alcantara (67), Cam Smith (73) and Jefferson Rojas (100).

Horton's stock fell this season, which makes sense given he missed more than half the season due to injury. He entered the year at #24 on MLB Pipeline's list, but after making just nine starts between Double and Triple-A, the right-hander will look to bounce back in 2025.

Shaw figures to factor into the Cubs' big-league plans sooner rather than later and, if you ask me, there's no reason he can't break camp with the team next March. Even with the substantive learning curve he'll face, he's not going to give you worse production than guys like Nick Madrigal or Miles Mastrobuoni have in recent years.

There's little doubt Ballesteros can hit - the question is where he'll play. The defense needs some work still and that's a multi-year project behind the plate. Bringing him up and expecting him to learn how to handle an MLB staff at this point seems unwise.

Don't be surprised if you see Caissie and/or Alcantara's names mentioned in trade rumors this winter, with the Cubs facing an outfield logjam and the expectation that Hoyer will be active on the trade market, looking to address a few key positions on the club. Cam Smith was one of the biggest risers on the update, jumping from #100 to #73 after a sizzling start to his pro career.

Rounding out the rankings is Rojas, who at just 19 years old, has a bright future. He's still several years away from factoring into Chicago's plans, but is yet another promising young infield talent in a system that still boasts the likes of Cristian Hernandez, Fernando Cruz and others.